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When my computer is on, the Shift key seems like it’s being pressed repeatedly, even though I’m not pressing it. The StickyKeys feature keeps coming up and I can type only caps and symbols, not numbers. When I click an app on the desktop, it highlights almost all of them. When I click in my web browser, all of the screen’s text gets highlighted. I’m really not sure if this is a virus or a malfunction in the hard drive or what. The computer is a 3-year-old HP ZV6000 laptop.
It sounds like the problem is with your keyboard—something caught under one of your Shift keys might be keeping the contact closed. First, try to dislodge whatever’s under there with a can of compressed air. If that doesn’t work, pry the Shift keys off with a butter knife (carefully!) and clean underneath them with a damp lint-free cloth—but make sure your computer is off. Then reseat the keys. Still no dice? The next step is replacing your keyboard. You can find one on the web for between $15 and $50.
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SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION Are flames shooting out of the back of your rig? First, grab a fire extinguisher and douse the flames. Once the pyrotechnic display has fizzled, email the doctor at doctor@maximumpc.com for advice on how to solve your technological woes. |
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[2] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/ask_doctor/ask_doctor_send_whom
[3] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/ask_doctor/ask_doctor_stock_cooler_safety
[4] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/ask_doctor/ask_doctor_rolling_back_ie7
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[7] http://www.maximumpc.com/articles/magazine/2009/february_2009
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